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Friday News Wrap-Up 5 October 2012

We’re back in the groove and it’s a new month, so keep an eye out for our Top 3 picks for September 2012. In the meantime lets talk about some of the hottest news from the last week or so, because I’ll be honest, there’s some eye-openers to talk about.

The annual update to Gameloft’s top selling shooter franchise is looming upon us and the developer is keen to show off just how pretty it looks. Set (one can only guess) in the tropical climate of Hawaii, there’s a distinct ultra-modern touch to proceedings that could open the path to some unique scenarios. Unfortunately all we have to go on right now is the slick trailer, but the game is slated for an Autumn release, so it won’t be long ‘til we can check it out for ourselves.

If you remember Plunderland by Johnny Two Shoes, then you’ll remember their pairing of distinctive visuals and gameplay to create a fun (and definitely unique) pirate-themed brawler (if you can even call it that). Prevail is the next-big-thing from the developer and once again you can see their own stamp on things as it looks like a strange cross-breed between GTA and 2D platforming Minecraft-a-likes. No news as to when it will be out, but we’ll keep our ear to the ground.

Publisher Crescent Moon Games has picked up the upcoming title from Alpha Dog Games and it’s easy to see why. The dungeon-crawling slasher looks like it could be fun, especially if it manages pair intuitive controls with a satisfying combat system. Interestingly you may have already seen the game on the App Store, but it was subsequently pulled after the company was snapped up. Hopefully that means more polishing before we get our hands on it for an official release.

I’m not entirely sure how to take the news of Death Dome’s imminent release to the wider public, especially as I’m a fan of both the Infinity Blade and Borderlands franchises. In particular Glu will be releasing the game as a freemium title (if the Canadian release is any indicator), which is slightly worrying considering earlier releases from the developer. Still, I’d like to believe this game is as fun as it looks, so we’ll definitely check it out once it goes Worldwide.

The Lantern Festival that ends most Chinese New Year celebrations is a beautiful thing to observe and take part in. There’s something calming about seeing hundreds of softly-lit colored orbs tethered on or strung-up between buildings, or better yet, floating free in the sky. Lanterns by Big Time Games recreates the zen-like relaxation of the festival by using the already familiar match-3 system we’ve seen in the past with randomized, free-floating lanterns. There’s only one game mode, but managing to get a great score will be dependent on many different factors - notably which lanterns you decide to combo and how much time you have left. The larger the combo, the more time/points/level experience you’ll earn, and balancing them all is important to getting that elusive top-spot on the leaderboards. Although more modes are planned for the future, Lanterns already makes for a fantastic way to relax thanks to its easy-to-use controls; elegant visual simplicity; and relaxing soundtrack.

Despite having so many great releases in the last fortnight, it’s hard to beat a game that combines a player’s creativity with a franchise just about everyone already knows about. Bad Piggies brings Rovio’s full-strength to bear, placing you in control of the green-pigs of Angry Birds fame as you make (and then pilot) all manner of vehicular contraptions. Whether you play it for the basic levels, or to take on its far-more-challenging sandbox mode, Rovio’s latest is definitely worth picking up.

Well it looks like I have a busy weekend ahead of me, if only to make up for a recent public holiday, so keep an eye on our site for more news, reviews and features! Have a great weekend!